Guitarist / singer /songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist Richie Kotzen has signed a label deal with global music company BMG. During his performance in London on Saturday, July 13, the final date of his European tour, Kotzen announced the September 27 release date of his brand new solo studio album, entitled Nomad. The album will be available digitally, on CD and standard black vinyl. Pre-save/Pre-order Nomad, here.
“After working with Richie on the successful Smith/Kotzen project,” says Michael Kachko, BMG Senior Vice President, “we knew what an incredible songwriter and artist he is so we were excited to hear what he was working on as a solo artist. When he played us the new material, we knew immediately we wanted to be involved."
“I was very much elated with the news that BMG wanted to release this album as I envisioned it without artistic compromise,” says Richie Kotzen. “I love the fact that the BMG team put their creative trust in me and my vision without re-design. So many times the business side of things can really interfere with the creative progress of a writer and with a team like this,” continues Kotzen, “the focus is on what can we do to help you beyond what you’ve already done as a recording artist. The attitude seems to be, ‘you’ve done the work as a writer- producer- musician, now let us take the ball and run’. This feels like the beginning of an amazing journey for me and a bit of a re-set in an industry that is becoming more complex to navigate for a lone artist.”
Written, recorded and produced by Richie Kotzen, Nomad features eight new tracks showcasing Kotzen’s multi- faceted musical styles with Kotzen playing almost every instrument on the album. On Nomad, Kotzen expresses his diverse techniques and influences, from hard rock to 70s infused soul and funk, jazz fusion to R&B. It’s all intertwined with his own unique playing and songwriting approach, while retaining his ever-evolving signature style.
“I came up exposed to soul, funk and R&B music extensively but at the same time I was a hard rock fan all the way,” explains Kotzen. “So I’ve got this sort of interesting dynamic happening with my music where you hear elements of Parliament or Curtis Mayfield but then at the same time you’ve got the Bad Company early Rod Stewart influence as well. Then when I started taking the guitar more seriously, I was drawn into Fusion bands like The Dixie Dregs, Return To Forever and Allan Holdsworth’s work. It is a wacky mixture but that is the formula for Richie Kotzen.”
Earlier this year Richie Kotzen released the first track from the album, hard driving single “Cheap Shots” to critical acclaim. And today Richie Kotzen premieres the follow-up single, “On The Table,” a heavy hitting rocker that had been living on his hard drive, waiting for the perfect lyric to complete it. A subconscious memory of his Brazilian father-in-law’s first English words “The book is on the table” sparked inspiration and perfectly tied it all together.
Listen to the new single here, and watch a lyric video below.
While Nomad has no shortage of heavy guitar rockers, the sheer diversity of the album as heard on tracks such as “Nihilist,” “This Is A Test” and the title track “Nomad,” showcases not only Kotzen’s musical range and vocal prowess, but his fearless imagination as a producer/arranger. Already globally renowned as an extraordinary guitarist, with Nomad Kotzen stands tall as a truly remarkable all-round lyricist-producer/arranger and singer.
Tracklisting:
"Cheap Shots"
"These Doors"**
"Insomnia"
"Nomad"*
"Escape"
"On The Table"
"This Is A Test"
"Nihilist"
"On The Table" lyric video:
"Cheap Shots" video:
"Cheap Shots" lyric video:
* Dan Potruch plays drums on “Nomad”
** Kyle Hughes plays drums on “These Doors”
US fall tour:
September
13 - The Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA
14 - Whisky a Go Go - West Hollywood, CA
19 - Goldfield Trading Post (Roseville) - Roseville, CA
20 - Tower Theatre - Fresno, CA
21 - Count's Vamp'd - Las Vegas NV
25 - The Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO
26 - HQ Live Denver - Denver, CO
27 - Barnato - Omaha, NE
28 - Knuckleheads Saloon - Kansas City, MO
30 - City Winery St. Louis - St. Louis, MO
October
2 - The Blue Note - Harrison, OH
4 - The Magic Bag - Ferndale, MI
5 - The Arcada Theatre - St. Charles, IL
7 - Jergels - Warrendale, PA
9 - The Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT
10 - Iridium - New York, NY
11 - Iridium - New York, NY
12 - Iridium - New York, NY
15 - City Winery Boston - Boston, MA
17 - Tupelo Music Hall - Derry, NH
20 - The Suffolk Theater - Riverhead, NY
22 - Rams Head on Stage - Annapolis, MD
23 - Sellersville Theater - Sellersville, PA
24 - The Beacon Theatre - Hopewell, VA
25 - Backseat Bar & Grill - Winchester, VA
29 - City Winery Atlanta - Atlanta, GA
30 - City Winery Nashville - Nashville, TN
November
1 - The Haute Spot - Leander, TX
2 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
(Photo - Juergen Spachmann)
